Water vehicles, such as boats (also referred to as a vessel), require electrical power to operate various on board systems such as lighting and engine ignition, and electrical power is commonly provided by batteries or banks of batteries. To conserve energy and to make boats safer by reducing fire hazards when they are not in operation (e.g., docked), electrical components called switches (or relays), which can break an electrical circuit thereby interrupting the current or diverting it from one conductor to another, are used to disengage the boats' battery systems from the boats main power or common supply cable when the ignition is turned off and the boat is not being used. The boat's operator or captain will manually turn the switch off (which opens a circuit within the switch) when leaving the boat to prevent any electrical components from draining the battery of the boat. And, the operator will manually turn on the switch (which closes the circuit within the switch) when returning to the boat in order to make the boat operational.
Typically, such a manual battery switch is inconveniently located in a central console or below deck. To operate the manual switches to disengage and reengage the batteries, individuals must actually board the boats, and boarding and moving around a boat to find and operate a relay or switch is inconvenient, especially in the dark. Because the boat's batteries are disconnected, the boat's lighting is not available. For example, when preparing to get under way at night, individuals such as vessel masters must find their way in the dark or bring a flashlight to find and activate the relay or switch.
Accordingly, there is a need for a wireless control system for controlling a boat's power supply, where the wireless control system may be remotely controlled by a wireless transmitter (e.g., by wireless key FOB while an operator is on dock). There is further a need prevent such wireless control being activated while the boat is operational as accidentally disengaging power while the boat is operating as losing power on a boat during operation could be catastrophic. Indeed, the chances of inadvertently activating a wireless remote are increased when individuals are being moved about on boats by rough waters, which is precisely when a loss of power is most dangerous. Still further, there is a need for such a wireless control system to be capable of being conveniently retrofitted with a conventional boat's systems. Still further, there is a need for such a wireless control system to be self-contained and have a compact form factor. Still further, there is a need for such a wireless system to be enclosed in a water tight enclosure to prevent damage from the wet environment. Still further, there is a need for such a wireless system to be manually overridden in event of a malfunction or if its wireless transmitter is lost.